Apparatus for spinning yarn



J1me 1955 F. E- NUTTER ETAL APPARATUS FOR SPINNING YARN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 15, 1951 June 14, 1955 F. E. NUTTER ETAL 2,710,438

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING YARN Filed March 1.5,1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1lllll llillll I 1H? I] IIH United States Patent O T APPARATUS FORSPINNING YARN.

Frank Everett Nutter and Ernest I. Spence, Sanford, Maine, assignors toGoodall-Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Maine, a corporation of MaineApplication March 15, 1951-, Serial No. 215,672

' 2 Claims. 01. 19-130 This invention relates to the manufacture of spunyarn, and has for its general object to provide a novel method of andapparatus for making spun yarn bywhich the number of operations, andconsequently the amount of labor, required to reduce a relatively largeand bulky sliver on the order of the large and bulky sliver as it comesfrom the gill machine to a spun yarn of the desired count issubstantially decreased. I

According to the usual practice the gill sliver as it comes from thefinal gilling operation, is subjected to several drafting and doublingoperations in order to reduce it to roving form, and then the roving issubjected to a final drafting operation on a spinning machine whichimparts to the drafted roving a spinning twist and then winds theresulting yarn on a bobbin or other yarn carrier.

Our invention provides a novel method by which the large and bulkysliver on the order of that which is delivered from the final gilloperation is reduced to the form of spun yarn by a single machine whichreceives the large and bulky sliver at one end and delivers the spunyarn from the other end, thereby eliminating the several separatedrafting'and doubling operations now commonly employed in reducing thegill or any other similar sliver to roving form, and also eliminatingthe necessity for using the various drafting and doubling machinesrequired for these eliminated operations, as well as the labor requiredto operate such machines Our invention, therefore, reduces to aconsiderable extent the time required to produce spun yarn from a largeand bulky sliver on the order of a gill sliver, and in addition iteliminates the waste which is a necessary accompaniment of the variousdrafting operations involved in the so-called Bradford system.

Our invention is capable of being used for making spun a blend ofrelatively long and relatively short fibers. Y

Another feature of the invention when used for spinningyarn of this typeis that the yarn is relatively free from slubs and coarse places, muchmore free than similar yarn produced by the method now commonlyemployed. 7

In order to give an understanding of the invention, we haveillustratedin the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now bedescribed, after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims.

Qln the drawings, v

' Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a spinning machine embodyingour invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the'driving' connections forthe compression rolls and the various drawing rolls of the machine.

In the drawing 1 indicates a portion of the frame of a spinning machineembodying our invention and Z'indicates a can containing a coil of alarge and bulky sliver 3 on the order of'a gill sliver as it has beendelivered from the last gilling operation. Such a sliver is rather largeand bulky and more or less open, although the fibers rection.

comprising the sliver have been arranged in substantial parallelism bythe various gilling operations and the sliver may be in the form of ablend of relatively long fibers and relatively short fibers.

In accordance with our invention the relatively large and bulky sliver3, as it is withdrawn from the can 2, is compressed radially andcondensed thereby reducing it to a relatively small compact sliver inwhich the fibers have substantially the same parallel arrangement anddistribution as they had in the bulky sliver, after which the relativelysmall compact sliver is subjected to two successive drafting operations,the first of which reduces the compacted sliver to roving form, and theother of which gives the roving the final draft and thus prepares it toreceive the spinning twist by which it is converted into a spun yarn.

The condensing or compacting of the sliver 3 is accomplished herein bypassing it between two especially formed compression rolls 5 and 6 whichare shown as mounted on the frame 1. The roll 5, which is a driven roll,is provided with a peripheral groove 7 into which the sliver 3 isdelivered by means of a trumpet or other guide 8. The companioncompression roll 6 is formed with a circumferential flange 9 which is ofa width to fit in the groove 7 of the roll 5 as shown in Fig. 2.

The trumpet 8 not only guides the large, soft and bulky sliver 3 intothe groove 7 of the compression roll 5 but it acts to partially compressand condense said sliver 3 prior to its passage between the compressionrolls 5 and 6.

The top compression roll 6 is a pressure roll which acts to condense andcompress the sliver 3 in the groove 7 as said sliver passes between thecompression rolls.

Pressure may be applied to the presser roll 6 in any suitable way, andas herein shown we have provided spring means for applying the desiredpressure to said roll.

The grooved roll 5 is mounted on a driven shaft 10 and the upper presserroll 6 is freely rotatable on a stud shaft 11 carried by an arm 12 whichis pivoted at 13 to a supporting frame 14 that is mounted on the main'frame 1.

The free end 15 of the arm 12 is acted upon by a spring 16 which exertsa downward pressure on the arm which transmits such downward pressure tothe top roll '6.

Means are provided for adjusting the tension of the spring 16 and forthis purpose the supporting frame 14 carries a bracket 17 to which issecured an upstanding rod 18 that passes through the coil spring 16 andhas an adjusting nut 19 threaded on its upper end. The spring 16 restson a foot member 20 through which the rod 18 extends and which engagesthe free end 15 of the arm 12.

. By adjusting the nut 19 downward the force which the spring 16 exertson the arm 12 can be regulated as required. The groove 7 in the lowercompression roll 5 is relatively narrow, it preferably having a width nogreater than the diameter of the sliver 3 as it leaves the trumpet 8,and hence the action of the two compression rolls-is to compress thesliver in a vertical direction while preventing any spreading thereof ina horizontal "di- As the compressed sliver leaves the compression rolls5, 6, the fibers thereof have the same parallel arrangement and the samedistribution as that given to them by the repeated gilling operations,whether the fibers are all substantially of the same length, or whetherthe sliver is made up of a blend of relatively long fibers:

on the order of mohair fibers and relatively short fibers on the orderof cotton fibers.

The compressed sliver 21 which is delivered from the compression rolls5, 6, is very much smaller in diameter than the large bulky sliver 3 andthefibers are in relatively compact form. This compact sliver 21 is thenPatented June 14, 1955- given a first stage drafting operation betweenthe compression rolls 5, 6 and a set of rolls 22, 25, 24 which arearranged one above the other and in contact with each other as best seenin Fig. 1. The bottom roll 24 is positively driven, the other rolls 22,23- being in the form of idler rolls.

The roll 24 is driven at a surface speed considerably greater than thesurface speed of the driven roll and as a result the compacted sliver 21which passes over the upper roll 22 and between the rolls 22, 23, aroundthe roll 23 and then between the rolls 23, 24, is subjected to adrafting operation between the rolls 22, 23 and the compression rolls 5,6. In this drafting operation the rolls 5, 6 function as back rollswhich de termine the speed at which the sliver is delivered, and therolls 22, 23 function as front drawing rolls by which the portion 21 ofthe compacted sliver is attenuated and further reduced in size.

The machine herein shown also includes a pair of front drawing off rolls25, 26 through which the attenuated sliver passes after it is deliveredfrom the rolls 23, 24, the roll 25 being a driven roll and the roll 26being a weighted roll which is rotated by its frictional engagement withthe roll 25.

Situated between the rolls 23, 24 and the front rolls 25, 26 are carrierrolls 27, 28 and cooperating tumbler rolls 29, 30, these rolls beingsuch as are commonly employed in drafting apparatus operating accordingto the Bradford system. The carrier rolls 27, 28 are positively driven,the rolls 29 and 39 being rotated by frictional contact with the rolls27, 28.

The sliver which has received a first stage drafting operation betweenthe compression rolls 5, 6 and the rolls 22, 23, receives a second stagedrafting operation between the rolls 23, 24 and the front rolls 25, 26,and for this purpose the roll 25 is driven at a surface speedconsiderably in excess of that of the roll 24. If the sliver is composedof relatively long and relatively short fibers, the drafting of the longfibers will take place between the rolls 23, 24 and the front drawingofi rolls t 25, 26, while the drafting of the relatively short fiberswill occur between the front carrier roll 28 and the front drawing offrolls 25, 26. in other words, the rolls 23, 24 constitute the drawingoff rolls for the first stage drafting operation and also the back rollsfor the drafting of the long fibers during the second stage draftingoperation, and the rolls 28, 30 constitute the back rolls for thedrafting of the short fibers during the second stage drafting operation.The weight on the tumbler rolls 29, 30 is not sufficient to prevent thelong fibers from being pulled between the rolls 27, 29 and. 28, 30 bythe front drawing ofi rolls 25, 26 during the second stage draftingoperation, but is sufficient to hold the short fibers in position and toenable the rolls 28, 30 to function as back rolls for the drafting ofthe rela tively short fibers.

We will preferably provide a standard grooved guide 32 between thecarrier rolls and directly in the rear of the front carrier roll 28,which guide holds the fibers from spreading when entering the frontdrawing off rolls 25, 26.

The roving 33 as it is delivered from the front drawing off rolls 25, 26may be given a spinning twist by which it is converted into a spun yarn,which is then wound on a bobbin carrier. In the construction shown thespinning twist is obtained through the medium of a flyer frame 34 andthe spun yarn is wound on a bobbin carrier in the form of a spool 35.

Referring to Fig. 3, the front rolls 25 are shown as mounted on a shaft36 which is driven by a suitable gear 37, and the shaft 36 is connectedby suitable reducing gearing 38 to the shaft 39 on which the rolls 24are mounted. The carrier rolls 27 28, which are mounted on shafts 41 and42, are driven from the shaft 39 by means of gearing 43. The shaft 10carrying the driven compression rolls 5 is connected to and driven fromthe shaft 39 by means of a train of gearing 40.

As illustrating the operation of our invention, if it is assumed thatthe sliver taken from the cam 2 weighs drams per 40 yards length, saidsliver may be given a draft of three during the first stage draftingoperation between the compression rolls 5, 6 and the rolls 22, 23, 24.This first stage drafting operation would thus reduce the bulk or weightof the end to 40 drams per 40 yards length.

If the drawing off rolls 25, 26 are driven at a speed to provide a draftof 13% during the second stage drafting operation. the sliver or rovingissuing. from the drawing off rolls would be reduced to approximately 3drams per 40 yards length and would be in proper condition to receivethe spinning twist from the flyer frame by which it is spun into yarn.The impoved method herein de' scribed of reducing a bulky slivercontaining both long and short fibers to a spun yarn not only effects asubstantial saving in labor and machinery because it elimitates therepeated drafting and doubling operations usually employed according tothe so-called Bradford system between the gilling operation and thefinal spinning of the roving to form the spun yarn, but it also effectsa saving because it eliminates the relative large waste of short fibermaterial inherent in the operation of the Bradford process.

Furthermore, yarn composed of a blend of long and short fibers producedby our improved method is smooth and of uniform size and is free fromslubs and coarse places caused by imperfect distribution of the veryshort fiber that often result from the repeated roller draftings anddoublings of the Bradford system.

We claim:

I. A spinning machine for producing yarn dircctly from a large and bulkysliver which comprises a sup porting frame, a pair of rolls mountedthereon and be tween which the sliver passes, one of which rolls has acircumferential groove with parallel sides and the other of whichconstitutes a pressure roll and has a circumferential flange operatingin said groove, said flange having a thickness equal to the width of thegroove, means to guide said sliver to the grooved roll, means applyingpressure to the pressure roll to compress and condense said sliver as itpasses through said groove, a second pair of rolls situated on thedelivery side of the first pair of rolls and between which the sliverpasses, means operating the second pair of rolls at a faster surfacespeed than the first pair of rolls thereby to subject the sliver to afirst stage drafting operation, a third pair of rolls on the deliveryside of the second pair of rolls and between which the partiallyattenuated sliver passes, means to rotate the third pair of rolls at afaster speed than that of the second pair of rolls thereby to subjectthe sliver to a second stage drafting operation between the second andthird pairs of rolls, said second pair of rolls constituting both thedrafting rolls for the first stage drafting operation and the back rollsproviding the back roll grip onthe sliver for the second stage draftingoperation.

2. A spinning machine for producing yarn directly from a large and bulkysliver which comprises a supporting frame, a pair of rolls mountedthereon and between which the sliver passes, one of which rolls is abottom roll and has a circumferential groove with parallel sides and theother of which is a top roll and has a circumferential flange operatingin said groove, a lever pivoted at one end to said frame, means mountingthe top roll on the lever at a point intermediate its ends, a rodanchored at one end to the frame and extending through the free end ofsaid lever, a nut on the outer end of the rod, a spring surrounding therod and interposed between the nut and the lever by which the desiredpressure is applied to the top roll, means for guiding said sliver intothe groove of the bottom roll, a second pair of rolls situated on thedelivery side of the first named pair of rolls, means operating thesecond pair of rolls at a faster surface speed than that of the groovedroll thereby to subject the sliver to a first stage drafting operationbetween the grooved roll and the second pair of rolls, a third pair ofrolls on the delivery side of the second pair of rolls and between whichthe sliver passes, means to rotate the third pair of rolls at a fasterspeed than that of the rolls of the second pair, thereby to subject thesliver to a second stage drafting operation, said second pair of rollsconstituting both the drafting rolls for the first stage operation andthe back rolls providing the back roll grip on the sliver for the secondstage drafting operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SPINNING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING YARN DIRECTLY FROM A LARGE AND BYLKYSLIVER WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORTION FRAME, A PAIR OF ROLLS MOUNTEDTHEREON AND BETWEEN WHICH THE SLIVER PASSES, ONE OF WHICH ROLLS HAS ACIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE WITH PARALLEL SIDES AND THE OTHER OF WHICHCONSTITUTES A PRESSURE ROLL AND HAS CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLANGE OPREATING INSAID GROOVED, SAID FLANGE HAVING A THICKNESS EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THEGROOVE, MEANS TO GUIDE SAID SLIVER TO THE GROOVED ROOL, MEANS APPLYINGPRESSURE TO THE PRESSURE ROLL TO COMPRESS AND CONDENSE SAID SLIVER AS ITPASES THROUGH SAID GROOVE, A SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS SITUATED ON THEDELIVERY SIDE OF THE FIRST PAIR OF ROLLS AND BETWEEN WHICH THE SLIVERPASSES, MEANS OPERATING THE SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS AT A FASTER SURFACESPEED THAN THE FIRST PAIR OF ROOLS THEREBY TO SUBJECT THE SLIVER TO AFIRST STAGE DRAFTING OPERATION, A THIRD PAIR OF ROLLS ON THE DELIVERYSIDE OF THE SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS AND BETWEEN WHICH THE PARTIALLYATTENUATED SILVER PASSES, MEANS TO ROTATE THE THIRE PAIR OF ROLLS AT AFASTER SPEED THAN THAT OF THE SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS THEREBY TO SUBJECTTHE SLIVER TO A SECOND STAGE DRAFTING OPERATION BETWEEN THE SECOND ANDTHIRD PAIRS OF ROLLS, SAID SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS CONSTITUTING BOTH THEDRAFTING ROLLS FOR THE FIRST STAGE DRAFTING OPERATION AND THE BACK ROLLSPROVIDING THE BACK ROLL GRIP ON THE SLIVER FOR THE SECOND STAGE DRAFTINGOPERAION.